Learning about and using academic vocabulary: Critical issues for pedagogy (Feb 18, 2025)

Abstract

Knowledge and use of academic vocabulary is important for learners preparing for or participating in English medium university education. Academic vocabulary knowledge contributes to academic success. Corpus-based research has shed light on the nature of written and spoken academic lexis across and within subjects which is useful for identifying vocabulary worth focusing on in EAP classrooms, textbooks, materials and websites such as the EAP Foundation. The focus of this talk is issues related to acquiring academic vocabulary, using examples from research in secondary and tertiary contexts in English as a foreign and second language countries. The talk begins with a model of vocabulary growth from Nation and Coxhead (2021), before turning to the following issues: (1) challenges EAP learners can face when learning and using academic vocabulary; (2) reports of low levels of vocabulary of EAP learners in a range of contexts; (3) the need for principled approaches and understanding to support vocabulary acquisition and use in EAP. The final part of the talk includes recommendations for practice based on the three issues as well as some suggestions for future research. There will be time for questions.

Speaker

About the Speaker

Professor Averil Coxhead is the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington. She is a co-author of Introduction to English for Academic Purposes, 2nd edition (in press, Routledge), English for Vocational Purposes (Routledge, 2020), Measuring the vocabulary size of native speakers (2021, John Benjamins) and the author of Vocabulary and English for Specific Purposes Research (Routledge, 2018).

Time

5-6 PM

Location

Room 408-410, Meng Wah Complex, HKU

Chair

Ms Nicole Tavares & Prof. Clarence Green